Safety ash tray



Feb- 1944- J. s. BRITTINGHAM SAFETY ASH TRAY Filed May 16,1941

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 SAFETY ASH TRAY James S. Brittingham, Bay Pines, Fla'., assignor of one-half to Robert Earl Barber, Bay Pines,

Fla.

Application May 16, 1941, Serial No. 393,700

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ash-trays for the use of smokers generally, and the chief objects of the invention are to provide a safety ash-tray so constructed and assembled as to render its accidental over-turning practically impossible, it being likewise impossible to burn furniture or table-tops by its use, and impossible also for half-burned cigarettes or cigars to fall out of the tray onto a table-top or elsewhere and cause damage or fires. Other objects are to provide an ash-tray in a relatively simple and practical form, and having a raised bottom and an inset, and removable spider \vhereon cigarettes may be laid in such position that they cannot fall out of the tray.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may appear from the specification, a preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ash-tray constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical, diametrical section through the tray.

Figure 3 is a detail in perspective, of the re-- movable spider or cigarette rest.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the spider or cigarette rest.

The invention comprises an outer circular tray or dish 5 having an integrally formed, V-shaped double wall 5a, 5b, integrally connected by a circular bight 50 around the top of the dish, and with the outer and inner shells disposed in a downwardly flared relation, so that a Vertical section would form an inverted V at each side, and as clearly shown in Figure 2.

The outer portion 5a of this double wall, is of greater width than the inner portion 51), so that as the lower margin of the outer portion 5a rests upon the surface of a table (not shown) the lower margin of the inner portion 5b would stand substantially spaced above the table. An integrally formed circular bottom plate 511 connects, all around, the lower margins of the inner wall portion 51), and an integral circular flange 5e is extended horizontally outward around the lower margin of the outer wall portion 5a, the same being rolled over and up as shown as a safeguard against scratching a table upon which the tray may be positioned. This up-turned flange 5e also provides a trough 5f for catching any ash flakes that might accidentally fall outside the tray. Rubber or felt pads 6 may be mounted around the bottom flange 5e as an additional protection against the mar-ring of furniture.

Within the tray 5, formed as aforesaid, is loosely positioned a spider or cigarette rest I, the same comprising a base ring 1a, a little less in diameter than the diameter of the bottom plate 5d, and adapted to lie freely upon the upper side of said bottom plate, a number of legs lb extended in equi-spaced relation from the ring la,

1 convergently inward and crossed horizontally at the top as shown at 1c, and a circular crown-1d having the reticulated bottom Ie, the raised, scalloped rim If, and central strike-plate lg, all rigidly soldered or otherwise secured together,

The height of the spider l as positioned in the tray 5, is substantially less than the double wall of the tray, and owing to the inward inclination of the legs 11) of this spider, and the correspondingly reduced diameter of the crown Id, there is provided a substantial space between the crown 1d of the spider and the adjacent wall of the tray 5.

Due to the smaller dimensions of the inner spider or cigarette'rest l, in both height and diameter, as compared with those of the tray, substantial space is left above and at the sides of the spider for the accommodation of cigarettes 8 as laid over into the tray and upon the spider or rest I, and as will be clearly seen in Figure 1. The scalloped rim 1 also prevents the cigarette from rolling off the top or crown 1d.

Thus there is no possible danger of the cigarette falling out of the tray onto the table or furniture. Moreover the inner spider may be easily removed from emptying ashes from the tray. The raised bottom as well as the doublewalled structure of the tray eliminates any possibility of a table being burned.

While I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment and structural features of the invention, any desirable changes may be made, within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an ash tray comprising an inner wall and a wider outer wall, said inner and. outer walls thereof meeting at the top and diverging at the bottom, a raised bottom suspended from the narrower inner wall; a cigarette rest seated freely upon the raised bottom suspended from the said inner wall comprising an annular base of less diameter than said-raised bottom and adapted to seat snugly thereon within the said inner wall; legs secured to the said base, said legs extending upwardly and convergently inwardly and crossing horizontally below the top of said tray; and a cigarette retaining means secured on the crossed horizontal portion of said legs. said means comprising an annular scalloped crown having a grid insert therein below the level of said scallops and a centrally disposed strike plate on the top of said grid.

2. In Combination with an ash tra'y comprising annular inner and outer walls connected at their upper margins and spaced apart at their lower margins, and forming thus in cross section the semblance of an inverted V, the lower margin of the inner wall being elevated relative to that of the outer wall, a circular bottom element supported at the lower margin of the inner wall, a cigarette rest seated freely upon the bottom element and comprising an annular base adapted to seat snugly upon the bottom element within the 15 inner wall, supports secured at their lower ends to the annular base of the cigarette rest, in regularly spaced relation therearound, and extending upwardly and convergently inwardly, and at their upper ends crossing horizontally below the top of the tray, cigarette retaining means secured on the crossed horizontal portion of the said supports, the same comprising an annular crown scalloped around its upper margin, and a grid insert within the said crown below the level of the upper scalloped margin.

3. In a device according to claim 2, a strike plate secured centrally to the upper side of the said grid.

J AMES S. BRITTINGHAM. 

